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Alfonso Lenhardt
Ambassador-Designate to the United Republic of Tanzania

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Alfonso Lenhardt
Ambassador-Designate to the United Republic of Tanzania

Statement of Alfonso Lenhardt
Ambassador-Designate to the United Republic of Tanzania

Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

July 21, 2009

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:

I am honored to appear before you today. I am grateful to President Obama and to Secretary Clinton for the trust and confidence they have placed in me as the nominee for Ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania.

I am very pleased to be visiting the Senate again and seeing so many of my friends here. In many ways it almost seems like yesterday that I was here as the Sergeant at Arms, during the historic response of the Congress to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and the multi-agency remediation and clean up following the anthrax incident in several of the office buildings here on Capitol Hill.

I am both humbled and honored to have been given another opportunity to serve our great nation. If confirmed, my time in public service will exceed 34 years, a record of which I am especially proud. My wife, Jackie, who has been by my side for the past 43 years, is in the audience today. She is a trained social worker and humanitarian who has worked to help the people and local community in every assignment and location we found ourselves in throughout the world. If confirmed, we look forward to service in Tanzania and helping the people there realize their full potential to live, work, and thrive in a safe, stable and democratic society.

During my career in the United States Army, service in the Senate, and work in businesses and non-profit agencies, I have accumulated considerable executive experience in leading large organizations with complex missions to achieve their full potential. The skills I developed as a senior U.S. Army officer in Germany, building bilateral and multi-lateral partnerships and operational relationships will assist my outreach to the Tanzanian people and collaboration with the Tanzanian government if confirmed. Additionally, my training and experience in local and international law enforcement has prepared me for some of the challenges I would likely face in Tanzania. In particular, my experience in adhering to the rule of law in police operations and crime prevention will be helpful in my engagement with Tanzanians struggling with these issues. Further, my expertise in internal defense and security operations will assist with the issues facing the Government of Tanzania in securing its borders, dealing with illegal migration, and confronting criminal and terrorist networks. Finally, my experience in the areas of civil affairs and engagement on population issues, through philanthropic and other non-governmental organizations, will enable me to assist the government and people of Tanzania in connecting with other sources of funding and assistance.

If confirmed, I look forward to leading Embassy Dar es Salaam's dedicated interagency team in advancing the interests of the United States and our partnership with the government and people of Tanzania. The U.S. Mission’s staff of more than 370 American and Tanzanian employees from eight government agencies works in an integrated, coordinated fashion in pursuit of clearly defined United States Government goals. Our broad engagement with the Government of Tanzania includes our shared commitment to peace and prosperity in the region, good governance, improving the health and education of Tanzanians, and promoting sustainable economic growth and development. In addition, the Embassy is committed to the safety and well-being of Americans resident in or visiting the United Republic of Tanzania. The relationship between the United States and Tanzania is stronger than ever. President Jakaya Kikwete, whose election in 2005 continued the established practice of peaceful presidential transitions, governs a culturally and religiously diverse nation at peace with itself and its neighbors.

Tanzania exerts a positive influence for peace and democracy in Africa. The country has a long history of actively promoting conflict resolution in the region, including through its membership in regional organizations such as the African Union (AU), Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the East African Community (EAC). Tanzania has hosted more than a million refugees over the years and recently took the unprecedented step of offering citizenship to tens of thousands of Burundi refugees who had lived in the country since the 1970s. Last month, Tanzania deployed a battalion of soldiers to Darfur as part of the combined United Nations-African Union peacekeeping operation, its largest international peacekeeping mission to date. The United States trained and provided equipment to the battalion through the African Contingency Training and Assistance program (ACOTA), building on our deepening military-to-military ties. If confirmed, I will encourage Tanzania's leaders to continue their support for democratic governance, tolerance and peaceful conflict resolution on the continent.

In 2010 Tanzania will hold its next national election, the fourth election since the reintroduction of multiparty politics. While elections on the mainland have generally conformed to international standards, in the semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar elections have been marred by violence and significant irregularities. Efforts at political reconciliation between the governing party and the principal opposition party on Zanzibar have stalled, creating concerns for the conduct of the 2010 elections. Together with international partners, the American Embassy is working to assist the electoral process and to reinforce the message to all parties that a government that serves the interest of all Zanzibaris is essential for development and economic growth in the islands.

The American Embassy is partnering with Tanzania as it confronts substantial development challenges. Despite solid economic growth for several years, the proportion of Tanzanians living in poverty has declined only slightly. Rapid population growth puts increasing pressure on social services. Our largest foreign assistance investment, through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), has surpassed its original goals. PEPFAR/Tanzania has supported anti-retroviral treatment for more than 144,000 individuals and care for nearly 900,000, including orphans and vulnerable children. There are positive signs that the prevalence of HIV, currently 6.2% of the population, may be declining. We have entered productive negotiations with the government of Tanzania on a PEPFAR Partnership Framework agreement, which would deepen our relationship over the next five years. Our Malaria Initiative in Tanzania, in coordination with other partners, has removed malaria as a major threat to the people of Zanzibar. The task now is to sustain that achievement and extend it to mainland communities plagued by malaria, the number one killer of Tanzanian children. We are also increasing our efforts in family planning and maternal and child health. In education, Peace Corps Volunteers teaching secondary school math and science are helping to confront Tanzania's significant shortfall in qualified teachers. If confirmed, I will work to ensure the continued success of our partnership and our focus on effective and targeted assistance. I will also continue the U.S. Mission’s practice of publicly identifying all forms of assistance as coming from the American people, no matter which particular United States Government agency implements that assistance. As shown in credible public surveys, favorable attitudes towards the American government have increased significantly in Tanzania since this approach was adopted.

Continued economic growth will be the foundation for Tanzania's overall development and progress. Our Millennium Challenge Compact with Tanzania, at $698 million the largest Compact to date, is targeted to address significant weaknesses in Tanzania's long-neglected transport, energy and water infrastructure. Since the Compact came into force last September, a substantial amount of preparatory work has been completed; major procurement efforts will be launched in the next few months. Because the Compact is a reciprocal agreement, Tanzania must live up to its own responsibilities, particularly with respect to reserving sustainment funding in its budget, fighting corruption and ensuring transparency. Last year saw the start of several prosecutions of high level former government officials, a strong message that the Tanzanian government will not tolerate corruption. If confirmed, I will stress the need for continued vigilance on that front.

Mr. Chairman, I thank you and the Committee for considering my nomination. I would be happy to address any questions you may have.